the only senior portrait posing guide youll ever need

Dear Fellow Photographers,

Ours Is The Greatest Profession On Earth

(not the oldest;-) but the greatest)

Could there possibly be a greater career than that of professional photographer? We get to meet wonderful people during the happy times of their lives. Whether its the culmination of 12 years of schooling, the birth of a child, a marriage ceremony or a long overdue family reunion portrait; people invite us into their lives to help them document and preserve forever, their most precious memories.

I Bet I Can Guess How You Got Started

Chances are someone said, Wow, you take really nice pictures, would you do some pictures of little Betsy? You did and they loved them, you probably gave them a CD of all the images. Then Betsys Mom told Susies Mom about you and Susies Mom asked you to take pictures of Susie. And you did and they loved them and you gave them a CD of all the images. You did that for awhile and more and more people found out about your interest in photography and eventually someone asked you to do their childs senior portraits. And you did and they loved them and you probably gave them a CD of all the images. Then you fell into (or soon will) the photographers tar pitequipment. You thought how great it would be to have that new camera, or some extra flash units, or a reflector, or some studio lights and a background or two. You

developed your skills and your basement filled with equipment. One day it dawned on you that you should start charging people for these pictures they love so much and suddenly your life changed forever.

Yesterday I Couldnt Spell Photographer Today I Are One

Now that youre charging people for their picturesthe same pictures you so generously did for nothing beforenow all of sudden they get picky. I really dont like Julies smile in this one and the way her head is tilted its just . . . I dont know, I just dont like it. Or, How come the background is all . . . like light or something? Everythings like all overexposed. Or, Is that the only background you have? The other guy down the street, he has tons of different backgrounds, you should really get some more. And so it goes.

People Expect More From A Professional

Becoming a professional photographer is not quite as easy as putting your name on a business card with professional photographer in glossy raised type below it. There are so many things to learn in this business. So many skills to master. Posing and lighting and color harmony. Sales and marketing, where to

buy props and backgrounds or how to make your own to save money. If you are serious about this business and want to expand on your newfound careeryouve come to the right place.

I Know How Hard It Is and I Am Here To Help

My name is Dave Meir and my wife Kate and I own and operate d. holmes meir studios in Rochester, Minnesota. Weve been at this since 1994 and we specialize in high school senior portraiture, babies, families and team sports. Check us out on the web at www.dholmesmeir.com.

Enough PalaverLets Get Started

This posing guide is so much more than a simple set of photos. Im pretty proud of it actually and I spent hours and hours putting it together. (many more than I thought it would take) Ill tell you something right nowsomething youll not hear from many other professional photographersIm not perfect. (Whew! that was hard;-) Many of the images in this posing guide include random comments on the pose or the background or the lighting. As I analyzed each image and typed my comments I realized how many of them had glaring problems with the pose or lighting, or heaven forbidboth. So while I created this posing guide for youits helped me as well.

Is There Right Or Wrong When It Comes To Art?

Im old school. My professional training in photography comes from an organization called the PPA or Professional Photographers of America. There are rules in professional portraiture with respect to proper lighting, proper posing, proper color harmony. If you enter portraits into a PPA print competition you will quickly learn those rules.

Arent Rules Meant To Be Broken?

Yes grasshopper they are. For instance, paying attorneys exorbitant amounts of money is a rule that should more frequently be broken. Only drinking Margarita's when its hot outstupid rule. Paying income taxwho came up with that winner? And, getting all bent out of shape because how you posed someones arm is not according to the rules.

The Only Rule You Need To Know

Its the one that says: if your clients love their images enough to part with their hard earned cash in exchange for the portrait you createdthen youre golden! A small caveat. The rules of portraiture are importantknowing them will improve your photography ten-fold. If knowing those rules will improve your chances of gaining more satisfied clientsthen grasshopper, they are worth knowing.

What Youll Find Down The Rabbit Hole

This posing guide is divided into several exciting, creative, sure to amaze segments. There are 135 different images of high school girls and 100 different images of high school guys. Each sectiongirls and guysis divided into sub-sections; i.e. girls standing poses in-studio, girls formal poses, girls activity poses, etc. . . Same for guys. On most, but not all of the images I have made comments. Some comments are random gibberish while many others are meaningful and poignant. (are they one in the same?) You may find some of my comments offensive. Sorry. Get a life. (kinda like that comment;-) Hah! Please know Im kidding.

Lighting Diagrams
To start with youll find several pages of my most frequently used lighting set-ups. Ive tried to demonstrate in these diagrams where my lights are in relation to the subject and the background. Ive also included photos of my camera room so you can better visualize the lighting. Then, on each pose you will find a lighting set-up number making it easy for you to refer back to the diagrams to learn how I lit that image. Incredibly genius wouldn't you say? Am I a giver or what!?!?!

Background Suppliers
Also on each pose I have given you the name of the background. Fol-

lowing the lighting diagrams you will find a list of my backgrounds and the suppliers I get them from. Many of the backgrounds youll see were created by little ole genius me. Please knowI am in no way an artist with a paintbrush or hammer and nails. ANY and I mean ANY of the backgrounds you see you can easily create your own self. And if you need helpIm as close as the nearest blog post or email.

Final Words of Wisdom

Photography is fun and I had fun creating this posing guide. Its quite possible you may be a better, more accomplished, more decorated, more creative photographer than I am. If so then you have mistakenly downloaded this guide and should immediately delete it from your hard-drive. On the other hand if like me, you feel you can learn something from everyoneeven if its the wrong way to do somethingthen I think youll enjoy this posing guide. Have fun, email or blog comment your questions and by all means dont hesitate to commend me on my obvious skill as a portrait artist;-) Im here to help you build a better business and develop your skills as a photographer. Lets get started.

P.S.Please note that sarcasm is a way of life in my family. My brother and sisters and I are terribly difficult to get along with which is why I spend hours on end alone in my basement doing stuff like this;-)

Important Note for Ease of Viewing This Guide

The pages within the guide are intermixedhorizontal and vertical, or landscape and portrait if you prefer. To rotate a vertical page to horizontal: shift / ctrl / + To rotate a horizontal page to vertical: shift / ctrl / Happy Shifting!!!

How to change your light ratio while maintaining an f/8 exposure

Meter Reading
Most light meters indicate exposure readings in whole stop apertures with the remainder indicated in 1/10 stop increments. In the table below the whole stop aperture is listed followed by a decimal point indicating the remainder in tenths.

Example:
f/5.6.3 = f/5.6 & 3/10ths
Main light illuminating the mask of the face.

Where to point the dome of your light meter?

Photographers the world over will argue this point. Do it this way and ignore everyone elseyou wont go wrong. When you are metering each individual light, hold the meter at the subject position and point the dome on your meter directly towards the light. When each light is set correctly take your final meter reading with the meter at the subjects nose with the dome pointing directly towards the camera.

Fill light filling the shadow side of the face.

Main Light
Metered @ f/5.6.3

Camera Setting Exposure = f/8 1:3 light ratio

Fill Light

String for accuracy

All of the lights in my studio (except my fixed fill) are on a string. Ive carefully metered each light and established an aperture setting at the most common distance from light to subject. I then attach a string to the face of the light/soft box and attach a small weight at the proper subject to light distance. Now, whenever I hold the end of the string to the tip of my subjects nose I can be assured of an accurate exposure without having to take the time to meter.
(This and other techniques covered in detail in each of the Portrait Expert modules.)

Metered @ f/4.3

Ratio 1:1 1:2 1:3 1:4 1:5 1:6 1:8

Difference Combined 0 1 1-2/3 2 2-1/3 2-2/3 3 f/8 f/8 f/8 f/8 f/8 f/8 f/8

Main Off f/5.6 f/5.6.3 f/5.6.5 f/5.6.6 f/5.6.7 f/5.6.8

Fill f/8 f/5.6 f/4.3 f/4 f/2.8.8 f/2.8.3 f/2.8

My Background Suppliers

http://www.backgroundsbymaheu.com
New England Autumn Monets Garden Pastel Leaves (not pictured)

http://www.studiodynamics.com
Ecru muslin

http://www.photoshowcasebackgrounds.com
Goldfire

http://www.shootinggallerybackgrounds.com
Lime in the Coconut Christine Parisian Chablis

If you would like to learn how I paint my backgrounds and how I build my swinging wall sets visit my blog at;

www.the-portrait-expert.com
email me at:

dave@the-portrait-expert.com

Learn how to build your own swinging wall sets at www.the-portrait-expert.com

Learn how to build your own swinging wall sets at www.the-portrait-expert.com

Learn how to build your own swinging wall sets at www.the-portrait-expert.com

Learn how to build your own swinging wall sets at www.the-portrait-expert.com

Learn how to build your own swinging wall sets at www.the-portrait-expert.com